The Seattle Bach Choir was originally founded in 1984 by Wallace Goleeke, as a performance vehicle for the works of the Baroque composers, especially those of Johann Sebastian Bach. Over the years, the group's repertoire has expanded to include Renaissance, Classical, Romantic, and contemporary works.
The Seattle Bach Choir is currently under the artistic direction of Dr. Gregory Vancil. Dr. Vancil earned his Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Choral Music from the University of Southern California. He holds Bachelor of Arts and Master of Music degrees from the University of Washington, and has spent a year of musical studies at the Akademie Mozarteum in Salzburg, Austria. Dr. Vancil has served on the music faculties of the University of Wisconsin at Eau Claire, Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas, and Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, Washington, as well as serving as Interim Director of the Seattle Symphony Chorale. Choirs under his direction have performed at several international choral festivals, and at national, regional and state conventions of the American Choral Directors Association, Chorus America, the Music Educators National Conference, and the American Orff-Schulwerk Association. In addition to his duties as Artistic Director of the Seattle Bach Choir, Dr. Vancil is Director of Choirs and Instructor in the Fine Arts at Franklin Pierce High School in Tacoma, and Artistic Director of the internationally recognized Tahoma Girls' Choir.